All Is Fair In Love and War: The Fire Flower
by Midnight Ash Princessa
Summary: Zuko and his childhood friend used to be together all the time. When the war threatens to hit the Southern Water tribe, they are seperate. Now fighting on opposite sides of a full on war, what will happen if the two are reconnected? M for later chapters.
1. Peaceful Days and Restless Nights

**A/N: There will be three separate stories for this like there are Books in the Avatar series. This first one is starting with Water and it will take place in the same order also…or that's my plan for now.**

**Note: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. I only own Kida Yokuna. **

**Chapter One Peaceful Days and Restless Nights**

_ Kida was playing in her mother's garden with some of her best friends. They were all Fire Nation children so it was only natural. Azula tugged on Kida's hand, pulling her towards the slide. "Come on, Kida! Let's go slide down it again!" The younger girl giggled and nodded, running to the back of the slide and awaiting Azula's squeal._

_ Her grey eyes landed on Zuko, who sat with his Uncle Iroh. "Aren't you going to let Zuko play too, Mister Iroh?" she called as she climbed the slide, standing on the top. "Zuko's training is almost finished, dear Kida." His uncle replied with a patient smile. The girl slid down the slide, giggling happily as Azula began to chase after a butterfly, its flapping wings moving a bit faster just to stay one step ahead. _

_ Kida had moved over to Zuko, her head tilted as she stared at his seemingly calm and serene face. His eyes were closed and he was meditating, trying to find a center for his firebending. She herself was naturally gifted in firebending, waterbending a little bit too. Her father often joked that she might just be the Avatar. Iroh's hand moved down to rest on Zuko's shoulder as his eyes opened, only to fall back out of surprise. Kida must have frightened him, but it didn't matter much as she fell onto her bum laughing at him. Iroh and Azula laughed too, Zuko's face flushed from embarrassment._

_ "What's wrong, Zuko? Afraid she was going to kiss you?" Azula said chidingly as the young prince's face filled with disgust. "Euw, no! Girls have cooties and I don't want those!" He said, moving away from the still laughing girls. "Aww, I'm sorry Zuko." Kida said, offering a kind smile to him. Azula smirked at them before deciding to join Kida into the joke. "Kida and ZuZu sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" She screamed as a light blush painted Kida's tan cheeks. "Azula!" The young girl cried out as she ran after the girl, pretending to be angry with her. Truth be told, she could never be mad at them…they were her best friends._

Kida jolted up, her hand moving up to wipe the cold sweat from her brow. _'Another childhood memory…'_ she thought, running a hand through her snow white hair. She had been having a lot of those lately. "Kida, are you okay?" Aang asked softly, looking back from where he sat on Appa's reins. "Y-Yeah. Just another dream. That's all." She said, smiling at him. Katara and Sokka were still asleep as she crawled carefully over them to sit next to Aang. "So where are we headed, mighty Avatar?" She whispered, a playful smile on her lips. "Kyoshi Island, of course! Did you know they have giant koi! I can't wait to ride one!" His eyes lit up with excitement as he spoke. "How far is this? It sounds awesome!" She asked, only fueling his excitement. "If I stay up all night, it'll only take a few hours." He said, a yawn escaping him. "Aang, you need your sleep. I'm fully rested. So I'll watch Appa, alright?" "You sure, Kida?" He asked, another yawn escaping the bald monk. She smiled and nodded, watching as he crawled back with Sokka and Katara, falling into an easy sleep.

Zuko continued to stare at the necklace in his hand. He couldn't remember where he'd seen it before but he knew he had seen it. Iroh sighed as he watched Zuko. "Y'know...perhaps it would be best if you took a break from hunting the Avatar. Maybe a game or two could relax you?" He suggested, waiting for the prince's reply. "No, Uncle. I can't stop now. I just beat Commander Zhao to earn the right to hunt him, so hunt him I will. I don't have time for games!" The banished prince's hand slammed into the table.

Iroh jumped a little, scolding his nephew. "It's not good to bottle all that anger and frustration, Prince Zuko." He said, wisdom marring his voice as it so often did. Zuko looked at him before he looked away. "I'm sorry, Uncle. I just...I want to know who that cloaked figure was. It seemed so…familiar." Iroh nodded, having caught a small glimpse of what he thought was white hair and yellow eyes, but he couldn't be sure. His mind had been too preoccupied with the fight. "Well, nephew, I am going to retire for the night. You should think to do so soon also." He said as he rose from the chair and made his way back up the stairs headed to the sleeping quarters.

Zuko knew where they were headed with the Avatar, he just didn't know why. He was alone now, his uncle having left him to go rest. He hated these moments, hated them with all the heart he had left. "Kida…" He said softly. Memories of his childhood friend often came to him in these quiet moments, moments he wasted reminiscing. It had been so long since he had seen her that he could hardly remember what she looked like. He wondered if she'd moved on, found someone better to hang out with…maybe she even had a boyfriend or possibly she was married. He had never thought of himself as much in the possibility of deserving to be with her. As the thud of a few of the shipmate's feet could be heard, his mind turned back to the task at hand and he moved silently up the stairs. It was time to retire to restless and usually sleepless nights.

_Zuko looked at the young girl, his best friend and firebending partner Kida. She was talking to her father, begging him. "No, Kida. And that's final." Her father said until she dramatically teared up. "How could you be so cruel to me, father." She said as she turned her back to him. "Why do you want to take the Fire Lord's son with you just for firebending practice?" He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. "He's my friend and it's fun to practice with him. I like being around him! Why can't you see that? And Azula is going to be busy away for the next couple of months." Kida exclaimed through her tears. "The Fire Lord is training his son. He would never let him come with a girl." Her eyes widened before she broke into a run, anger surging through her as tears continued to stream her face. Zuko ran after her, his hand reaching out to grab her wrist. "Kida, what's wrong?" He had asked as he wiped at her tears. "My father is leading the attack on the Southern Pole…and I wanted you to come too. That way it wouldn't be so horridly boring." She sniffled, her bottom lip quivering still. "The Southern Water tribes, right? Well, it's okay. I can always see you when you get back." Kida nodded and sighed softly before her hand touched his cheek. "ZuZu...what if we don't make it back? What if we never see each other again?" She saw the hurt flare in his eyes and braced herself as he yelled at her, tears surfacing again. "Don't say that! How could you say that? You're supposed to be the one with the happy thoughts, not the bad ones…." She whimpered at his yelling before he pulled her into a hug and buried her face against his chest, sniffling. "I'm s-sorry…" she said through her tears. He rubbed her back gently, oddly enough enjoying the warmth of her body to his. 'I curse teenage hormones...' he thought, not noticing she had pulled back. "Are you okay, Kida?" He asked, genuine worry in his voice. The girl wiped at her eyes, nodding again. "I really am sorry though, Zuko. I guess it's just that since Mom's been gone for the past couple years...I think bad things before I do the good now." Zuko smiled at her before hugging her tightly again. "Hold your head up high, young Kida and we shall meet again!" He said, his voice taking on a fantasy warrior accent to make him seem tough. She stared at him blankly before giggling, making even him chuckle a little. At least he had gotten a smile…_

The night continued on as Kida watched the moon which threatened to set soon. In the distance, she could see a small island. "We'll be there soon, Appa." She whispered quietly to the flying bison as she continued to play with the water in her canteen. She could waterbend quite well now, the water looping and curling before her eyes flickered white. Each time, the water would freeze and drop before melting back to a liquid state.

The moon slid under the darkened horizon, a light pink invading the mixtures of blues and purples in the sky. _'The sun will be rising soon.' _She thought as she pulled the hood of her white cloak over her head. She let her eyes close halfway as her mind wandered away to daydreams and memories, both future and already past.


	2. Kyoshi Warriors and A Reunion With Zuko

**Note: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. I only own Kida Yokuna. **

**Chapter Two Kyoshi Warriors and a Reunion With Zuko**

Appa had landed on Kyoshi Island before anyone woke up. Kida smiled, dropping to the ground and slipped away to search for food. "Hm…what an odd fruit." She said as she picked up the bulbous thing. A rustle in the trees caught her attention but she pretended not to notice. _'Must have been my imagination…' _she told herself before she heard it again.

Refusing to let her guard down, she watched the trees, seeing the movement before she had to dodge. Looking back in the spot where she had just been standing were senbon. _'I have to warn the others!' _Kida thought as she raced back through the forest, hearing the rustling following her. As she neared where she had left them, Kida stopped behind a tree, her grey eyes scanning the area. Katara and Sokka were bound, only Sokka being gagged as one of the people scrutinized him about his sexist attitude. The rustling stopped as Kida turned to be met face to face with a female warrior, senbon supposed to hit at a pressure point near the spinal cord. Kida's hands wrapped around the girl's forearm, jerking her forward and past the tree, only giving her a second's notice before she attacked with an agile series of kicks and punches. The warrior girl grabbed her leg and threw her with surprising force, only for her to retaliate with fire, catching herself on one hand, flames dancing in the air.

Aang couldn't take it as he yelled for them to stop. "I'm the Avatar. Avatar Kyoshi, I used to know him. Please you must believe me." He tried desperately to reason with the female fiends. They were circling him like wolves on their prey. Kida saw this, grabbing the girl that had dared to oppose her and threw her into her friends, stopping the circle. "What are you? Vultures?" She cried as the leader threw a dropkick in Kida's direction, making the white cloaked female jump before she hit the hard helmet of the girl, her face smashing into the ground as she yelped. "Some warrior you are. And you lead these girls? Ridiculous." She said, anger and venom in her words.

Aang squeaked in fright before grabbing Kida's arm. "Kida, what are you doing?" He cried out as he moved her back. "You shouldn't hurt them!" The yellowed eyed girl glared back at her friend, her eyes flickering grey before she fell to her knees, panting slightly. _'You're such a monster Lotta…why did you do that?' _she thought, a voice in her head laughing maniacally. She moved away from the now untied Sokka and Katara, holding her head. "I'm sorry, Kyoshi leader. Are you alright?" She asked, her grey eyes reflecting the sorrow she felt for letting her demon out. "I would accept your apology, but you're a firebender!" She growled, her weapon of choice held to Kida's face.

Sokka grabbed the warrior from behind and held her before dropping her because she was squirming too much. "You damned women!" He cried out, making the leader furious as she started yelling at him about how sexist he was. Even Katara was glaring at him from the sidelines. "Leave Kida alone!" Sokka said finally, everything falling silent as eyes turned back to the white cloaked girl, who was staring absentmindedly at her bloody hand. "Fire…bender." Her warrior voice yelled as she threw Sokka at Kida, who caught him and dropped him to the side as she dodged the fast female. "What do you want with the Avatar?" She growled, making Kida blink. "Wait! No! Don't start fighting again. She's not in league with the Fire Nation." Aang said, trying to get the once again fighting females to stop. Katara joined in then. "She's here to help Aang since he saved her back at the Southern Air Temple. We're all friends here except Sokka and me. We're siblings."

The Kyoshi leader stopped speechless, looking from Katara to Sokka. "You're related to THAT?" She cried as Sokka muttered something about taking offense to being called a "that". "It's not a trait I'm most proud of…" Katara said with a scowl as she looked away. The warrior turned back to Kida with a polite bow. "Your apology is accepted and I also am sorry for my assumptions." Kida smiled, nodding as she moved back over to the ocean. She dipped her hand into the water, biting her lip at the slight sting. Pulling some bandages from the pouch she had been able to retrieve from the Fire Nation ship wreck, Kida wrapped her hand, happy it would keep it clean at least.

The Kyoshi warriors led them all back to their small sanctuary, peaceful and lovely amongst the nature. The sun started to set on a long day; Sokka was still learning how much better at things women were. If it fixed his sexist views, no one in their small gang really cared. It was just one less problem.

Zuko had awoken from a night filled with childhood memories, memories of her. He shook the thought from his head as he looked up. The ship's captain was talking about the flying bison often seen with the Avatar. They would soon be to Kyoshi Island, hopefully before the Avatar and the others with him set off again.

Aang had let the village's worship of his Avatar power go to his head. Katara was annoyed by it, while Kida shrugged with the intention that sometimes people had to learn the hard way. Sokka was easily falling for Suki, leader of the Kyoshi warriors, but he wouldn't be admitting that yet. "Aang, we need to get going soon. Don't forget about the fact the Fire Nation is falling you." Katara said, anxiety making her fidgety. "Aw, fine. We'll leave tomorrow morning, okay?" He said, trying to easily brush her off.

"How'd it go, Katara?" Kida asked quietly, still in the position she'd rested in for the past few hours. "No luck…he said we'll leave tomorrow morning." Said the discouraged waterbender. "He's been saying that for the past week." She replied, opening a grey eye to look at her friend. "Listen, if he 'forgets' by tomorrow morning, we'll gag him and bound him and toss him onto Appa's back. Then we'll hop on the trail towards Omashu." Both girls laughed as they made up crazy and ridiculous plans to kidnap the two males from the village of females.

Katara had gone for a walk, Sokka off with Suki once again. Kida smiled to herself, letting her long white hair fall down her back, loose and free. "Nothing like the hot springs." She said as she settled into them, her towel on the branch that hung over them. Kida sighed softly as she relaxed, her head on her arms and her eyes closed. Everything was so…quiet, so peaceful and serene. That's when she noticed it. It was quiet, as if nature had stopped moving. Kida looked around before she heard the explosion. She was already out of the water and dry from both her firebending and the towel, her white cloak over her clothes as she ran back to the village. It was as she had feared. The Fire Nation had found them.

Kida could see Suki and Sokka fighting with Fire Nation soldiers; Aang was trying to put out the fires they had started, his airbending only making it worse. Katara was using her waterbending to the best of her ability. She couldn't stand this as she summoned water from the well, splashing it over the rooftops to help Katara. A hand shot out at her and she blocked it, eyes looking back to meet those of Zuko, the banished prince and her childhood friend. The shock made her almost drop the water if Katara had not taken it upon herself to try to control such a large amount.

"I have something that belonged to you. But you won't be getting it back unless you join me." He said, stern determination in his voice. Lotta laughed inside of Kida's head, making her hand move up to touch her temple.

"What you have is a necklace…" came the voice of the cloaked figure. "What I want is your life!" It snarled as it lunged at Zuko. He attacked it with a punch to the chest, fire sent straight at him, her, it. "What are you?" He asked it as his fire bent towards the strange thing, making it move away. He met cat like yellow eyes underneath the hood, the owner of them he did not know what as he was slammed into the trees. A maniacal cackle escaped the creature as he stared on,; it was firebending. How was that even possible? _'It couldn't be..She wouldn't harm me.' _Zuko thought as his mind flashed back to Kida once more. The flame hit his armor making it hot to the touch, a low hiss escaping him as he felt it burn him a little. One of his fellow soldiers shot her off of him at the perfect time, watching the strange demonic thing disappear into the burning village.

Lotta grinned as Kida cried inside. "That was ZuZu! I told you not to hurt him…" She whimpered, ethereal fists slamming against Lotta's chest. "Oh shut up, you selfish little brat. Would you rather him learn that you are helping the Avatar and hence that is why you never returned to him?" It fell silent inside the girl's mind as her eyes returned to grey, a tear streaming from them as she used a spear to hoist herself up onto the roof's grabbing Katara's hand as they took off into the sky. "Please tell me you weren't going to leave me at the mercy of the Fire Nation's banished Prince." She said in sarcastic annoyance as she eyed them. Aang and Katara's fingers pointed to Sokka who sat balled up in the corner, whimpering of Suki before he realized they were talking about him. "Hey, you were off doing the bending thing with Zuko. What were we supposed to do?" He said with averted eyes. Kida's fist came down on his head as she growled the word "Jerk" under her breath.

"Off to Omashu now, right, Aang?" Katara asked as Kida took her seat near the back of Appa's saddle. Her mind was preoccupied with her friend or at least he used to be her friend..way back when. She sighed softly as she wiped another tear from under her hood. _'Oh ZuZu… what's happened to you?' _she thought quietly. Her head moved to rest against the saddle's side and she could almost imagine she heard Zuko's voice saying "Back to the ship! After the Avatar! We can't lose him!"….


	3. Zuko's Memories and the Road to Omashu

**Note: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. I don't own the songs Kida sing in this either. It rightfully belongs to Superchic[k]. I only own Kida Yokuna, Quingshan Lin, and Takeshi Kobayashi. **

**Chapter Three Zuko's Memories and the Road to Omashu**

The road to Omashu seemed as though it would never end, the clouds continuing to float and pass them by. Zuko's ship could be seen due to the black smoke it released, making them almost positive that they couldn't stop. Not yet. It was almost certain that if they did then the banished prince would be upon them instantaneously.

Zuko had been following the Avatar from Kyoshi, thoughts of the random creature that attacked him invading all others. _'What was that? It didn't seem to want the necklace back very much…' _came his quiet thought as he sighed, pulling the other firebenders into another painful practice. He had to release his anger before he lost control again.

"Tell me, Nephew, why are you so set on catching the Avatar?" His uncle asked him, knowing he would already have an answer. "I have to win my honor back and without the Avatar, you know I can't do that, Uncle." The old memories had returned again, reminding him of his shame that most knew about anyways. With his honor back, Zuko's dishonor would be erased as if it had never been there.

_'Oh Nephew…if Kida had come back…would that have made any difference to you? Would you be on this ridiculous mission?' _Iroh wondered as he sat back in his chair, enjoying the lovely weather. Zuko's training was done for the day, but he refused to rest. "Nephew, you know that if you don't rest sometimes, when war strikes, you will be too tired to fight." He stated, the wisdom in his tone making Zuko cringe. His Uncle was right. If he continued to push himself past his limits by so large a measure, he would surely cripple.

Night was setting in amongst the sky as the ship's captain informed Zuko that they would need to dock early because supplies were starting to run low. "Fine. Head for a port city. But don't waste any time. It's too valuable." Zuko said before his eyes turned to the water that was pushed aside by the moving vessel. Memories had resurfaced again, catching him off guard.

_The water flowed and swirled through the air, Kida's movements slow and careful. As she spun, the water spiraled around her, following her like a bee back to the hive. She jumped and so did the water. It was a thing of grace and beauty, not to mention it had won Zuko's and Azula's admiration. Kida landed before Zuko, the water spiraling around him now as a smile lit her face. Azula jumped at the chance to embarrass her younger brother, shooting a large blast of fire at her. "Azula!" They had both cried as steam enveloped them. Kida shook her white hair, the water dripping from it. She pouted before using her on firebending to dry her hair. Zuko had tackled Azula, his small fists beating on her shirt. "Why are you always being so mean?" He cried, anger and embarrassment shown in his eyes and on his face. That was when Uncle Iroh had stepped in, picking Zuko off of his older sister who was laughing like a hyena. "I hate you Azula!" He said as tears streamed down his face. Kida stood there, watching the two. Her face, it was so sad. Heart breaking…_

"Tears…" Zuko said to himself with a sigh, not able to remember the last time he had cried._ 'Wonder if she knew this would happen…' _He thought, her face engraved in his mind. Her last words…they had reported no survivors from the brutal attack, but what if…what if just maybe she had escaped? She was wonderful and nice; any water tribe would have accepted her. Maybe she was out there, just waiting for him in those frigid waters.

Bad thoughts began to hit Zuko's mind, making him turn his back to the icy waters. What if she had died? Frozen to death? Hypothermia? He couldn't take not knowing. His father being the almighty Fire Lord, of course he hadn't checked out the wreckage to find her. Flames started to grow as his anger and concern rose. The thought of his father made his blood boil, his teeth gritted as he took a deep breath. His long term shipmate, Quingshan Lin, came up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be alright , Zuko. I have a feeling that Kida's okay. She may have been gentle but all women have to harden at some time. Maybe we'll be reunited soon." It was a hopeful thought as his friend always was, though his anger had not subsided. Another memory came to him then, a calming one that made him smile.

_Kida stood on the ship's deck as they sailed with her father's friend. It was more of a leisurely ride than anything else. But Zuko was happy to have won the argument against his father to go. He had been too preoccupied watching the fish jumping through the water as if they had a magic all their own. In his amazement he did not see that Kida had disappeared from his side. That's when he heard the tranquil sound almost like a lullaby. "How long will this take? How much can I go through? My heart, my soul aches. I don't know what to do. I bend but don't break. And somehow I'll get through because I have you..." Came the angelic voice. '__**Who's that?' **__he wondered as he moved slowly after the gentle melody, finally spotting Kida as she spun, hopping up the stairs to the Bridge. "And if I had to crawl, well you'd crawl too. I stumble and I fall. Carry me through. The wonder of it all is you see me through." There it was again! It had to find it, maybe Kida knew something. It couldn't hurt to ask he had decide as he followed her up the stairs to see her sitting on the railing, looking up at the sky. "Oh Lord, where are you? Do not forget me here. I cry in silence, Can you not see my tears? When all have left me and hope has disappeared, you'll find me here." She sang softly before rerouting into the chorus again. He dared not interrupt her, the melody like a lullaby, wind blowing her hair back from her face. In these moments, his mind went blank as he wondered if she was truly an angel, heaven-sent. "When everything is lost, I have forgotten where you have not. When I am lost, you have not lost me…" She sang softly, the chorus being sung one last time. His body had unconsciously moved forward, making a board creak under his foot. Her body had tensed and she had attacked with the fiery attack similar to Azula's when they had been younger. When she had seen it was him, she had gasped and apologized profusely. He had been speechless, dumbstruck by her beautiful singing. It had calmed the raging fire inside him; she was just so talented…_

Zuko sighed as he closed his eyes, hands holding his head before he looked to the sky. It was one of Kida's favorite things, her nature simple in love and destiny. Looking back to the waters for a second, he decided it might be best for him to retire for the night, slowly walking up the stairs and into his sleeping quarters. But as he laid down, he couldn't sleep, worry making him restless.

_"Hey Zuko…" Kida said, her voice unsure, as if she was frightened. "Yeah?"He asked lazily as they lay in the summer sun, his mind and energy zapped by it. "Do you think we'll ever not be friends?" She asked softly, fear evident in her eyes as she closed them. "Of course not, Kida! We'll always be best friends, no matter what" He had replied confidently before falling silent. Kida's head moved, her chin resting on the palms of her hands as a sigh slipped from her. "I just wonder. I mean, as we've all grown older together, I've noticed the growing distance and the hostility between you and Azula." He snorted as he thought of his older sister before simply shrugging. "It's a natural reaction, sibling rivalry, y'know?" He said, no response uttered from her. They both knew that she would never know that. After her mother had died, her father had refused to remarry, emerging himself into the war to occupy his thoughts. She would have no siblings and sooner than anyone realized, she would even lose her father…_

He rolled over, his back to the door as his thoughts circulated thorough his head. He didn't understand why he'd started having so many memories of her recently, but he did know that it hadn't started until he saw that white cloaked figure and then they had begun to come more frequently after he saw her again. He sighed softly, his mind resolved that next time he saw it, he would get his answers, one way or another.

Kida rolled over with a soft "mmf", her grey eyes opening from a vivid dream. It had become a nightmare about her and Zuko battling in the Kyoshi village. She couldn't stand to see how the fire burned his skin, how his mark of dishonor lay so blatantly placed upon his face. She couldn't stand it as she sat up, moving quietly from the camp. Her grey eyes looked up, finding the moon as she walked through the trees.

Her voice raised up softly into the sky, her eyes closed as a light breeze blew her hair loose. "She never slows down, she's doesn't know why, but she knows when she's all alone, feels like it's all coming down. She won't turn around, the shadows are long. And she fears if she cries that first tear, the tears will not stop raining down…" A smile caressed her lips as she began to bend fire over the tops of the bamboo stalks, balance having been taught to her when she was a mere baby.

As her voice raised, her flames shot up higher into the sky, her mind not her own. "So stand in the rain, stand your ground. Stand up when it's all crashing down. You stand through the pain. You won't drown, and one day what's lost can be found. You stand in the rain…" Lotta took control of her body, kicks and punches releasing fire as she cackled in the girl's mind. Lotta didn't dare take over her ability of speech though, the melody making even her smile, though it was as twisted as she.

"She won't make a sound, alone in this fight with herself and the fears whispering. If she stands, she'll fall down. She wants to be found. The only way out through everything she's running from, wants to give up and lie down… so stand in the rain..Stand your ground…" The melody continued, rising and falling, coming to her so naturally. The night wore on, the two of them acting as one amongst the tree tops while the others rested.


	4. The City of Omashu and A New Ally

**Note: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. I only own Kida Yokuna, Quingshan Lin, and Takeshi Kobayashi. **

**Chapter Four The City of Omashu and A New Ally**

_Aang jumped, his airbending sending him over the edge and down the mail chute. His best friend Bumi did the same thing only with earthbending. They did this every day and almost every day they would get in trouble. It was one of the few memories that Aang actually liked. That was before Bumi and him accidentally fell into the same chute, making it hard to steer as they both went tumbling down and into the cabbage cart. They would likely be reported to the Earth King for this if they couldn't run away fast enough…_

Katara, Sokka, Aang, and Kida stood at the top of the chutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Aang longed to relive his old memories while Sokka was attempting to sound smart by his own analyzing of how the chutes REALLY worked. His theory was bogus as he exclaimed his ingenious thoughts to Katara and Aang. Kida was thinking along the same lines as Aang, a grin on her face as she carefully inched closer and closer to the edge. Inside her, Lotta snarled angrily, trying to stop the girl before they got hurt.

"It's a long way to the bottom, Aang. Why don't you go on ahead?" Kida said quietly. "Aww come on, Kida! Don't tell me you're a chicken." Sokka replied, his hand patting her hard on the back. The force sent her tumbling forward with a light yelp, down the chute in streaks and spells. Aang had used his airbending to push Katara and Sokka into chutes of their own. "Woohoo!" Aang yelled as they all tumbled down the chutes as if they were slides.

As they all neared the exit, Aang used his airbending to lift them all off the slide. Kida landed gracefully on her feet like a cat. Aang landed on top of a cabbage cart that Sokka and Katara landed in. The cart's owner was yelling at them about dragging them off to the Earth King. Kida's face contorted in pure annoyance as she zoned out from all noise.

_'God he is so loud…' _came Kida's thought as she sighed, Lotta joining in, a frenzied craze about her. _'Incapacitate him and sew his mouth shut!' _she said, her tongue sliding over the serrated fangs that showed today. "No! I don't want to, you stupid demon!" she accidentally yelled out loud before the old man grabbed her too, dragging them away to see the King of Omashu.

_Kida was only ten years of age, her hair tied back today. Zuko had invited her to train in the Fire Lord's stadium. They literally flew at each other, flame against flame. As Kida back flipped onto her feet, she smiled, tilting her head. "Zuko, are you going easy on me?" She asked, his cheeks flushing lightly in embarrassment as she smirked. "Well, you are a girl, y'know…" he started, obviously feeling nervous suddenly. "She is not just a girl but also a skilled fighter. I would like to challenge you, young firebender." The Fire Lord said as he stepped up, his shirt being tossed to the side. Zuko shook his head from behind his father, trying to tell her to call off the challenge. "Okay then. I accept." She said softly, falling to the ground with ease and grace. He struck punch after punch at his younger female opponent, her agile movements meeting his if not tricking him. In the end, she managed to knock him from his feet with a brilliant move, a move all her own that she called The Dragon's Lotus. "Very good…" Zuko's father said, patting her head in approval as he stood up. "Father…" Zuko said softly, admiration in his eyes but fear boiling just below the surface. "I've waited a while for such a skilled younger warrior such as yourself. Come child, let me reward you." He offered with a smile, a rare gesture for the almighty Fire Lord. "No sir! I can't take anything. My reward was being given the honor to face you." Kida said as a small bag of currency was tossed at her feet…_

"Nephew…" Iroh began again with a smile. "We could settle in this town. There are lots of pretty girls here." Zuko looked away, biting his tongue. "If I had to settle down with a girl, then I want only one and I…I don't even know if she's alive…" He replied, his voice in only pure honesty. "What if she's someone else's?" the new voice of Takeshi Kobayashi said with a slight smirk, his hand making the ice in his glass clink. "Then I will let her choose…" Zuko said quietly. He had never liked the new shipmate much. The guy was too proud, too arrogant. Suddenly, the table moved as the young prince stood up. He shook his head as his uncle asked him if he was alright. "I'm retiring for an early nap, Uncle." Iroh nodded before sipping his tea. "What about later, Nephew?" Zuko sighed, rubbing his temples. "Later, I'll attempt to go enjoy the festivities." He replied before slipping upstairs to his room.

The door closed behind him as he moved over to the bed, laying down with his hands behind his head. He inevitably lost his fight with sleep, another night filled with memories and nightmares ahead of him.

_The decorative lanterns created a romantic evening glow to the room as Zuko scanned the faces around him. He was supposed to be enjoying the night after all. Then he saw it, the frosty white hair. His feet couldn't move fast enough as he slipped up behind her, catching her before she hit the ground. "Oh dear. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me." She said as she straightened back up, brushing her hair to the side so that her grey eyes were visible. "Kida!" he cried in surprise, only to see her tense before she met his eyes, hers widening in shock. "Zuko!" She said, standing up to hug him. He couldn't believe this; his Kida was here in his arms again. Leading her to the center of the dance floor, he spun her lightly before pulling her close to him. They danced slowly, each moment in time bringing them closer. Kida's head lay on his shoulder as they swayed to the music, one of his hands playing with her hair before she pulled away. "What's wrong?" He asked softly, his hand moving up to stroke her cheek as those beautiful grey eyes looked into his. She shook her head before she pressed lightly to him, her lips brushing against his as if teasing. The hand on her cheek slipped back to her neck, pulling her lips into his with a slight roughness._

Zuko sat up with a gasp, his cheeks flushed from the excitement of the dream. A quick glance outside told him that it was evening now, his breathing slowly coming back to a relaxing pace. _'I should get ready to go…' _he thought quietly, moving from his bed to change into a more festive kimono. _'This is going to be a horrible night…'_

_'This king is a schitzo.' _Thought Kida as Lotta snickered to herself. The King of Omashu was ranting about tests for Aang that would keep Sokka and Katara a sense of the word safe. Kida was free to roam, searching the many rooms of his home.

A shimmering light caught her eye as she stopped, her grey eyes peeking through the keyhole. There was a cage, inside a pixie holding a scroll. She smirked as her index finger grew a claw like talon, using it to unlock the door before she quietly closed it behind her.

"Hello there." She spoke softly, making the small girl jump in fright. The cage was locked as far as she could tell and she picked it up, smiling reassuringly. The pixie tried to reach a hand through the bar, only managing to burn its delicate little fingers. Large tears welled up on the small girl's lashes as she held her burnt hand to her.

"Don't worry. I'll find the key and let you out. I just…I don't know where it is." Kida said with a soft sigh. The pixie jumped up and down before pointing to a nearby table. She moved to the table, circles drawn on a map, the closest being a port city nearby.

"This is…wait, I know where this is! We'll go tonight. I'll scan the crowd and find your key. I should be able to get back within a couple days. Sounds good, right?" She said before looking to the pixie who nodded with a smile. "Good." She whispered as she slipped from the room.

Katara sighed as she slipped into her night gown, a knock on the door startling her. As she opened it, she was surprised to see Kida holding a cage. "Kida, what are you doing out this late?" She asked, watching her white haired companion.

"I'm leaving. Only for a couple of days though dear. I'll be back before you know it." She promised with a nod of her head. "W-Well, where are you going?" Katara asked, worry settling into her features. "I can't tell you but I promise I'll be fine. Trust me." Kida said, trying to make her feel better with a smile.

The run was refreshing, the wind making it easy to find as she could smell the salt. There was a festival of some type going on here and Kida was grateful she had brought her money satchel. Slipping into a hotel, she left the pixie covered in the corner. Her hand slid through her snow white hair as she sighed. To find the man she was looking for, she needed to blend in.

Kida slipped into the seaside shop to get a kimono, something dark but not too dark and definitely not pink. In the end, she settled for a navy blue kimono with black white laced trimming. On the back were Japanese sakura and the kanji for black cat. It looked good on her and was quite comfortable. She slipped the picture of the key into her pocket as she slipped out of the store and onto the busy streets.

Zuko wandered the port city's streets, the women and men laughing jovially, children running back and forth. His eyes looked about in boredom and annoyance, even the few girls who attempted to flirt with him not interesting him. That was before he noticed that snow white hair and her beautifully tanned skin…only one person had skin like that. Kida.

He moved towards her, grabbing her arm as she whirled to face him, confusion and anger splayed across her tan face before a gasp escaped her lips. Kida's eyes widened as she recognized her childhood friend, grey pupils scanning his face. It had been too long since they had been together, joy and shock overriding all other emotions.

Kida threw her arms about his neck, her nose nuzzling him lightly. His arms wrapped about her lower back, pulling her close to him. His nose burrowed into her silky white hair, the smell that of a strawberry shampoo, a soft smile meeting his lips as he inhaled her scent. Oh, how he had missed this scent, how he had longed for her to be in his arms again. But what if it was all a dream?

"Zuko, it's been so long…It's so great to see you. I've missed you terribly." Kida whispered, her voice a bit muffled against his chest before he let go reluctantly. "What are you doing here, Kida? Why didn't you come back to the Fire Nation?" Zuko asked, eyes showing the sadness he had felt when she hadn't returned. A slow smile graced her face as she looked at him, knowing that he was hunting the Avatar and that she couldn't tell him.

"I've been around, seeing the villages like we always said we would. Rumor is, that you're hunting the Avatar, Zuko." She said, a slight smirk on her face. He nodded, leading her over to a table to catch up. "You won't believe how much I've missed you, Kida." Grey eyes looked up, surprise and wonder making them sparkle under the moonlight.

"Really, Zuko?" She asked as her hand took his. "Yes, I really did." He whispered in return, his cheeks flushing a light red as she held his hand. Zuko was scared she would just disappear. What if she did and they never saw each other again? It had almost happened before; what would stop it from happening now?

"Come on, Zuko. Let's enjoy the night together. Make up for lost time." She whispered as she tugged his hand, leading him to a nearby booth. Picking up a ball in her hand, she threw it at the target, hitting it perfectly in the middle. His fingers wrapped around a ball, his hand throwing it, only to fall along the outer lines. Kida giggled softly, a smile on her face as Zuko sighed in frustration.

The night went on, filled with memories, happiness and laughter lining the air. Each time she smiled or simply looked at him, he could feel his heart quicken in its pace. A soft sigh escaped his lips, her hands slipping into his as he pulled her to her feet. Their fingers laced easily as she moved a bit closer, his hands sliding down to her hips as they swayed lightly to the music playing.

"Zuko…" murmured Kida's soft voice, her eyes closed as her head rested on his chest. He pulled her closer to him while Iroh watched from the shadows, a mischievous smile on his face. Secretly, Iroh was happy for his nephew and for Kida, but he would definitely be picking fun at Zuko's crush tomorrow. He continued to watch them before he noticed their lips so close together, turning his back to them to allow them their privacy.

Zuko's finger lifted Kida's chin, her grey eyes watching him beneath her half closed eyelids. Their lips met in that moment, the world seeming like it had stopped spinning, the people disappearing to leave it as them. Just Kida and Zuko, alone in their own little world.

A smile found its way onto Zuko's face as he pulled back after a few moments, his thumb caressing her cheek. Her tan cheeks had a tinted rouge to them at his touch, her fingers lacing with his as he followed her back to her hotel room to spend the night together, catching up with times past.


End file.
